I'm lost! Really really lost!
I haven't coded anything other than html (which was 10 years ago) since my Commodore Vic20 days and cassette tape drives. You remember:
10 Goto line 20
:D
I believe I am trying to take on a project that is just way above me, and I don't have a clue where to start. All the pages of coding I have seen look entirely too foreign.
Let me explain what I am doing. I am trying to make certain aspects of modding the TES4 Oblivion game easier for newcomers. In doing so, I have compiled 2 groups of files (a full, and lite version) that I want to be installed.
If this was just a matter of installing files, I think I could figure it out. Add the files, find the coding to check the registry for the install directory of oblivion, use it as a varible for the installation path. Ok. The theory behind that I am solid on, though I have no idea of the code yet.
Here is what is making this extremely hard for me: I don't just have files to be placed in the directory. I need it to install and run installers as well. Either that, or I need to find out how to extract all the info from these installers, and then recreate it in my installer.
If I could have exactly what I wanted, it would be like this:
Installer says "hi, this is the oblivion toolkit installer. continue/quit?"
Upon continue - Do you wish to install the lite or full version, or custom pick your components to install?
Lite - a python26 pack consisting of python 2.6.4, wxpython 2.8, comtypes 0.6.2, pil 1.1.7, pywin32 2.14, and psyco 2.0, plus MS Visual C++ 08, and the Oblivion Mod Manager (all of which have their own installers), plus the extra files and folders I have.
Full version is gonna add a lot more extra files and such, but also adds 6 more installers, plus a patch installer. Things like Blender, Nifscripts, and streamline.
Then of course the custom, which would basically allow the users choice over all the software and mods.
Now, I believe all the python installers I can get different files for since they are open source, allowing me to not have their individual installers, which may help. The other programs I am not sure of.
So I guess my questions right now are, how would I create an installer that extracts the contents to a temp directory, then runs the individual installers, and when they are done running it finishes the installation by checking the registry for where Oblivion.exe is located, and then installs the files where they belong?
I know this has got to be asking a lot, but any help, or links in the right direction will be greatly appreciated.